How do you get started setting up an email newsletter for your business? Thankfully, it's pretty simple with a tool like MailChimp or Constant Contact. We like both services, but today we walk you through starting a free MailChimp account.
Earlier this week, I wrote a blog post about how an email newsletter will really, really benefit your business. Hopefully I convinced you, and you’re ready to start! The good news is, starting your email newsletter is actually pretty simple.
Want to start an email newsletter? Here’s how to begin:
- Use an email marketing service such as MailChimp or Constant Contact to create and send your newsletter. We like both services, but today we’re going to talk about MailChimp because it’s incredibly user friendly, keeps you out of spam filters, and combines functionality with a little whimsy to make newsletter creation a joy, not a chore. Not to mention, it’s a free service (up to 2,000 email subscribers and 12,000 emails per month). Constant Contact is also a great tool, but it does require a monthly investment.
- Don’t create your newsletter within your email client. Sending a newsletter from Outlook, Gmail, Apple Mail, etc. will most likely cause you to be marked as a spammer. Always use an email marketing service to send mass emails because they help you avoid spam filters.
- Make sure your email newsletter is mobile-friendly (or responsive). With an estimated 75% of users receiving their emails on their phones, mobile-friendly newsletters are an absolute necessity.
Pro Tip: MailChimp will automatically make your newsletter mobile friendly, and it will also allow you to see the mobile view when you preview. Here’s an example of the previews of our newsletter:
- Don’t try to just send your print newsletter as your email newsletter. Even with MailChimp, if you just embed a PDF or image of a newsletter and send it, your users are going to have trouble reading it. If your company has a print newsletter that you like, you can use it as a starting point for content and create your email newsletter using one of MailChimp’s easy-to-use templates — but don’t send the image file as the newsletter.
- Keep the information in your newsletter informative and entertaining. Also, make sure your content is timely; no one wants to read industry news from six months ago in this month’s newsletter.
- Don’t be “salesy” in your newsletter. Readers don’t want to hear a sales pitch. They want to be educated and informed, not bored with sales jargon.
- Be consistent with your newsletter. Whether you send it once a week, once a month or once a quarter, it’s important to send it on a regular basis.
So there you go! With MailChimp, you can quickly and easily get started on your company’s email newsletter. Set up your business’s free MailChimp account today, and if you have any questions or need any assistance, give us a shout or leave a comment below.
